British Humanist Association appoints new Head of Public Affairs

Mon, Feb 06, 2012 10:40 EST

Pavan Dhaliwal has been announced as the new Head of Public Affairs at the British Humanist Association (BHA). She succeeds Naomi Phillips, who is leaving the BHA after five years to manage the External Relations of the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Ms Dhaliwal comes to the BHA having worked in high level advisory and Head of Policy and Public Affairs roles for the past seven years as an equalities and human rights expert with a special interest in youth, criminal justice and education policy, including for the Government of Bermuda, and with race equality organisations the 1990 Trust and Race on the Agenda. She was a founding member of the UK/US collaborative initiative Equanomics UK and is a trustee of CRJ UK, a charity working to tackle disproportionality in the criminal justice system, and of the gender equality organisation The Fawcett Society.

Taking up her new post, Ms Dhaliwal said, ‘I am delighted to be working for the British Humanist Association and to build upon the excellent work that has been achieved here. There are some huge challenges and opportunities ahead, particularly in the areas of education, House of Lords reform, and in assisted dying but I am confident that we can engage decision makers and the wider public to represent the views of humanists, and advance secularism in UK public life.’

Chief Executive Andrew Copson said, ‘Naomi leaves us with our enormous gratitude for everything she has achieved in the last five years. Pavan was recruited from a strong field and joins us at a time when her exceptional experience in achieving public policy change, and deep knowledge of equalities policy will be invaluable.’

The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who
seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.

About Us

The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of ethically concerned, non-religious people in the UK. It is the largest organisation in the UK campaigning for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief, and for a secular state.